seattleblue wrote: ↑19 May 2025 12:41 pm
I would be more than happy with Henry Brzustewicz as MN highlighted the other day. I didn't watch a lot of London but you can see this player's hockey sense is MILES ahead of Fiddler. Be mindful these are just some higher end plays. When you watch deeply you see it all so this doesn't have that perspective included. But the high end of his game is exactly what we want he reminds me of a RHD young Nick Leddy when I watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvCLjZnXq34
Carbonneau is my top forward for "player I somehow hope drops but won't" because I would like another Holloway on RW please
Kindel is in the model of "slightly smaller Schwartz" I would say
I like Hensler more than Brusty(not typing that whole thing out) but I'd be pretty happy with either. I think they both profile pretty close to Lindstein(defense oriented #3 types) and I'll gladly take that with a 19th overall pick.
I actually like Cootes/Reschny/Kindel(simply because there's the possibility that they could be developed as a center instead of automatically tossed on the wing) more than Carbonneau but I'd be content with any of them. With Kindel in particular, I think the playmaking tends to get under-rated because of his motor and advanced defensive game. I could pretty easily see him developing into something close to Thomas.
Side note; why can't you guys just put the idiot troll on ignore? At least stop quoting it so the rest of us don't have to mess with its nonsense.
I have a slight preference for Brzustewicz over Hensler but like both at 19. Hensler is a jack of all trades, master of none type IMO. He didn’t shine at Wisconsin as much as I thought he would this season but at the same time, it can be hard to break out as a college freshman sometimes, especially at defense. So he wouldn’t be my first pick but I could also see him being a steady defensive d-man. Not flashy, not a needle mover but a guy that would have a solid NHL career. Brzustewicz I think is underrated. I see a lot of translatable skills on both the offensive and defensive sides.
I like Carbonneau, particularly his skill but I question his hockey sense a bit. Kindel I think he a bit underrated as well. Highly skilled, smart and works hard. But always cautious when the player is 5’10”. Are we getting a Schwartz or a Fabbri? Heck, replay Fabbri’s career where his knee isn’t shredded twice and I bet it ends up pretty similar to Schwartz’s. That’s what makes projecting these kids so hard. You don’t really know what the future holds. But 5’10” players simply have fewer paths to be able to make an impact. But at 19, he’s certainly a consideration.
I will always defer to you guys who watch more of the juniors and college game consistently in regards to the draft, I usually only start doing my research on those "prospect youtube" videos where someone cuts stuff up and analyzes their game on the lead up to the draft. But I would think the Blues have to go defense here unless someone they value dropped as a forward. When you only have 2 bluechip defensive guys in your system, it seems like you have to keep throwing darts to fill up the chance that 3 years down the road you have someone.
As to your Fabbri and Schwartz comparison. If there is THAT guy, you obviously have to take him. Schwartz was a great player for the Blues, and has continued to be that same guy for the Kraken. Fabbri would have been one of the better Blues in a long time if it wasn't for his knee injuries. He was truly electric and had another gear that not many had in 2016. Pre injury Fabbri was a problem any time he had the puck. Once his lost the jets, the game got exposed. But you would take that gamble every time.
I’d like to see the Blues draft a RD or C in this draft but still, it’s always BPA. I’m just hoping the BPA at 19 is a RD or C.
But yeah, there’s some good forwards in this draft and undersized guys tend to drop in the draft. The two 5’10” guy in this draft that fit the Schwartz/Fabbri mold would be Cole Reschny and Ben Kindel. Of the two, I like Reschny more but I think Kindel is quite good too. Except Kindel’s a right shooting RW.
Sort of reminds me of 2010 when all of Jeff Skinner, Mikael Granlund and Jaden Schwartz were all pretty highly touted.
I saw dominating games from Reschny and Kindel against Stancl's and Jecho's teams and both of them were second half risers which is an appealing aspect of a prospect, improving midway through the season. I'd be ok with either of them, high skill high motor
TBone wrote: ↑19 May 2025 12:35 pmBlues’ 2025 Draft Preview: Five Prospects Who Could Shape the Future at 19th Overall
By Mike Meyer
May 19, 2025
The St. Louis Blues hold the 19th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, scheduled for June 27 in Los Angeles. This selection is not expected to impact the NHL roster in the short term but instead serves as a key addition to the organization’s prospect pipeline. With a typical development timeline of three or more years, the Blues are targeting a player who could contribute at the NHL level around the 2028–29 season—strengthening depth at key positions and aligning with the long-term outlook of the franchise.
With that timeline in mind, here are eight draft-eligible prospects who fit the profile: long-term upside, positional value, and alignment with the Blues’ identity.
Logan Hensler, D, Wisconsin (NCAA)
6’2”, 195 lbs, Right Shot | 2024–25 Stats: 2 goals, 12 points and a -13 in his first 32 NCAA games
steve li wrote: ↑20 May 2025 15:10 pm
Pronman has the Blues picking Sascha Boumedienne. haven't seen in mentioned in the discussion - thoughts on Boumedienne?
Pierre and I have both mentioned him. He’d be another solid option at pick 19.
I found Boumedienne somewhat hard to evaluate as he was a 17 yr old d-man playing college hockey. The only other players in modern times I can even think that played college hockey that young before are Noah Hanifin and Zach Werenski. He was ok in the 1st half of the season and then better in the 2nd half. Was in BU’s top-4 as they marched to the championship game. 13 pts in 40 games. Played a safe game as you’d expect a kid so young to play at that level. But then he went to the U18s and absolutely tore it up for the Swedes. 14 pts in 7 games. New tournament record for a d-man. But Sweden was blanked in the championship game by Canada and the Canadians went hard after Boumedienne and threw him off his game.
So I’m not sure what to think of him. He absolutely has some translatable skills though. 6’2” and around 185 lbs currently. So pretty lanky so not surprising some of the larger Canadians were able to knock him around a bit. But he’ll fill out like pretty much all skinny teenagers do. I think he’ll likely develop into a solid two-way 2nd pairing d-man. But he’s a LD and we have a ton of those in the org so I haven’t been focusing on him as much. But there’s quite a few d-men ranked around the same range that I value pretty similarly. Him, Reid, Brzustewicz, Hensler etc. But Brzustewicz and Hensler are righties so more of an organizational need IMO.
steve li wrote: ↑20 May 2025 15:10 pm
Pronman has the Blues picking Sascha Boumedienne. haven't seen in mentioned in the discussion - thoughts on Boumedienne?
Pierre and I have both mentioned him. He’d be another solid option at pick 19.
I found Boumedienne somewhat hard to evaluate as he was a 17 yr old d-man playing college hockey. The only other players in modern times I can even think that played college hockey that young before are Noah Hanifin and Zach Werenski. He was ok in the 1st half of the season and then better in the 2nd half. Was in BU’s top-4 as they marched to the championship game. 13 pts in 40 games. Played a safe game as you’d expect a kid so young to play at that level. But then he went to the U18s and absolutely tore it up for the Swedes. 14 pts in 7 games. New tournament record for a d-man. But Sweden was blanked in the championship game by Canada and the Canadians went hard after Boumedienne and threw him off his game.
So I’m not sure what to think of him. He absolutely has some translatable skills though. 6’2” and around 185 lbs currently. So pretty lanky so not surprising some of the larger Canadians were able to knock him around a bit. But he’ll fill out like pretty much all skinny teenagers do. I think he’ll likely develop into a solid two-way 2nd pairing d-man. But he’s a LD and we have a ton of those in the org so I haven’t been focusing on him as much. But there’s quite a few d-men ranked around the same range that I value pretty similarly. Him, Reid, Brzustewicz, Hensler etc. But Brzustewicz and Hensler are righties so more of an organizational need IMO.
steve li wrote: ↑20 May 2025 15:10 pm
Pronman has the Blues picking Sascha Boumedienne. haven't seen in mentioned in the discussion - thoughts on Boumedienne?
Pierre and I have both mentioned him. He’d be another solid option at pick 19.
I found Boumedienne somewhat hard to evaluate as he was a 17 yr old d-man playing college hockey. The only other players in modern times I can even think that played college hockey that young before are Noah Hanifin and Zach Werenski. He was ok in the 1st half of the season and then better in the 2nd half. Was in BU’s top-4 as they marched to the championship game. 13 pts in 40 games. Played a safe game as you’d expect a kid so young to play at that level. But then he went to the U18s and absolutely tore it up for the Swedes. 14 pts in 7 games. New tournament record for a d-man. But Sweden was blanked in the championship game by Canada and the Canadians went hard after Boumedienne and threw him off his game.
So I’m not sure what to think of him. He absolutely has some translatable skills though. 6’2” and around 185 lbs currently. So pretty lanky so not surprising some of the larger Canadians were able to knock him around a bit. But he’ll fill out like pretty much all skinny teenagers do. I think he’ll likely develop into a solid two-way 2nd pairing d-man. But he’s a LD and we have a ton of those in the org so I haven’t been focusing on him as much. But there’s quite a few d-men ranked around the same range that I value pretty similarly. Him, Reid, Brzustewicz, Hensler etc. But Brzustewicz and Hensler are righties so more of an organizational need IMO.
I like Boumedienne an awful lot. He’s still a bit of a long term project I think but he has been rising for sure. On a team with Hudson and Willander he was able to really compliment their defense which was a bit unexpected. I saw the interview with Pandolfo where he said he just kept getting better and they kept giving him a bigger leash and that he just kept earning it with his play. I think he’s definitely a guy to keep an eye on not to mention he’s a Swede. I’d still rather go with an RHD if we go dman though but if he was actually the guy, I wouldn’t be upset.
seattleblue wrote: ↑19 May 2025 12:41 pm
I would be more than happy with Henry Brzustewicz as MN highlighted the other day. I didn't watch a lot of London but you can see this player's hockey sense is MILES ahead of Fiddler. Be mindful these are just some higher end plays. When you watch deeply you see it all so this doesn't have that perspective included. But the high end of his game is exactly what we want he reminds me of a RHD young Nick Leddy when I watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvCLjZnXq34
Carbonneau is my top forward for "player I somehow hope drops but won't" because I would like another Holloway on RW please
Kindel is in the model of "slightly smaller Schwartz" I would say
I like Hensler more than Brusty(not typing that whole thing out) but I'd be pretty happy with either. I think they both profile pretty close to Lindstein(defense oriented #3 types) and I'll gladly take that with a 19th overall pick.
I actually like Cootes/Reschny/Kindel(simply because there's the possibility that they could be developed as a center instead of automatically tossed on the wing) more than Carbonneau but I'd be content with any of them. With Kindel in particular, I think the playmaking tends to get under-rated because of his motor and advanced defensive game. I could pretty easily see him developing into something close to Thomas.
Side note; why can't you guys just put the idiot troll on ignore? At least stop quoting it so the rest of us don't have to mess with its nonsense.
I have a slight preference for Brzustewicz over Hensler but like both at 19. Hensler is a jack of all trades, master of none type IMO. He didn’t shine at Wisconsin as much as I thought he would this season but at the same time, it can be hard to break out as a college freshman sometimes, especially at defense. So he wouldn’t be my first pick but I could also see him being a steady defensive d-man. Not flashy, not a needle mover but a guy that would have a solid NHL career. Brzustewicz I think is underrated. I see a lot of translatable skills on both the offensive and defensive sides.
I like Carbonneau, particularly his skill but I question his hockey sense a bit. Kindel I think he a bit underrated as well. Highly skilled, smart and works hard. But always cautious when the player is 5’10”. Are we getting a Schwartz or a Fabbri? Heck, replay Fabbri’s career where his knee isn’t shredded twice and I bet it ends up pretty similar to Schwartz’s. That’s what makes projecting these kids so hard. You don’t really know what the future holds. But 5’10” players simply have fewer paths to be able to make an impact. But at 19, he’s certainly a consideration.
I will always defer to you guys who watch more of the juniors and college game consistently in regards to the draft, I usually only start doing my research on those "prospect youtube" videos where someone cuts stuff up and analyzes their game on the lead up to the draft. But I would think the Blues have to go defense here unless someone they value dropped as a forward. When you only have 2 bluechip defensive guys in your system, it seems like you have to keep throwing darts to fill up the chance that 3 years down the road you have someone.
As to your Fabbri and Schwartz comparison. If there is THAT guy, you obviously have to take him. Schwartz was a great player for the Blues, and has continued to be that same guy for the Kraken. Fabbri would have been one of the better Blues in a long time if it wasn't for his knee injuries. He was truly electric and had another gear that not many had in 2016. Pre injury Fabbri was a problem any time he had the puck. Once his lost the jets, the game got exposed. But you would take that gamble every time.
I’d like to see the Blues draft a RD or C in this draft but still, it’s always BPA. I’m just hoping the BPA at 19 is a RD or C.
But yeah, there’s some good forwards in this draft and undersized guys tend to drop in the draft. The two 5’10” guy in this draft that fit the Schwartz/Fabbri mold would be Cole Reschny and Ben Kindel. Of the two, I like Reschny more but I think Kindel is quite good too. Except Kindel’s a right shooting RW.
Sort of reminds me of 2010 when all of Jeff Skinner, Mikael Granlund and Jaden Schwartz were all pretty highly touted.
Not sure I'm ready to shoehorn Kindel onto the wing just yet.
Sure, he's small. But he's also got a very advanced defensive game for his age, ran at 54.5% on faceoffs and plays primarily a passing game offensively.
Kindel is roughly the same size as Yanni Gourde(and there's more than a few similarities in their playing style), and Gourde has had a nice little career for himself as a center. I'm not going to say Kindel can't play center at the NHL level until he struggles with it at a lower level(and that hasn't happened yet).
seattleblue wrote: ↑19 May 2025 12:41 pm
I would be more than happy with Henry Brzustewicz as MN highlighted the other day. I didn't watch a lot of London but you can see this player's hockey sense is MILES ahead of Fiddler. Be mindful these are just some higher end plays. When you watch deeply you see it all so this doesn't have that perspective included. But the high end of his game is exactly what we want he reminds me of a RHD young Nick Leddy when I watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvCLjZnXq34
Carbonneau is my top forward for "player I somehow hope drops but won't" because I would like another Holloway on RW please
Kindel is in the model of "slightly smaller Schwartz" I would say
I like Hensler more than Brusty(not typing that whole thing out) but I'd be pretty happy with either. I think they both profile pretty close to Lindstein(defense oriented #3 types) and I'll gladly take that with a 19th overall pick.
I actually like Cootes/Reschny/Kindel(simply because there's the possibility that they could be developed as a center instead of automatically tossed on the wing) more than Carbonneau but I'd be content with any of them. With Kindel in particular, I think the playmaking tends to get under-rated because of his motor and advanced defensive game. I could pretty easily see him developing into something close to Thomas.
Side note; why can't you guys just put the idiot troll on ignore? At least stop quoting it so the rest of us don't have to mess with its nonsense.
I have a slight preference for Brzustewicz over Hensler but like both at 19. Hensler is a jack of all trades, master of none type IMO. He didn’t shine at Wisconsin as much as I thought he would this season but at the same time, it can be hard to break out as a college freshman sometimes, especially at defense. So he wouldn’t be my first pick but I could also see him being a steady defensive d-man. Not flashy, not a needle mover but a guy that would have a solid NHL career. Brzustewicz I think is underrated. I see a lot of translatable skills on both the offensive and defensive sides.
I like Carbonneau, particularly his skill but I question his hockey sense a bit. Kindel I think he a bit underrated as well. Highly skilled, smart and works hard. But always cautious when the player is 5’10”. Are we getting a Schwartz or a Fabbri? Heck, replay Fabbri’s career where his knee isn’t shredded twice and I bet it ends up pretty similar to Schwartz’s. That’s what makes projecting these kids so hard. You don’t really know what the future holds. But 5’10” players simply have fewer paths to be able to make an impact. But at 19, he’s certainly a consideration.
I will always defer to you guys who watch more of the juniors and college game consistently in regards to the draft, I usually only start doing my research on those "prospect youtube" videos where someone cuts stuff up and analyzes their game on the lead up to the draft. But I would think the Blues have to go defense here unless someone they value dropped as a forward. When you only have 2 bluechip defensive guys in your system, it seems like you have to keep throwing darts to fill up the chance that 3 years down the road you have someone.
As to your Fabbri and Schwartz comparison. If there is THAT guy, you obviously have to take him. Schwartz was a great player for the Blues, and has continued to be that same guy for the Kraken. Fabbri would have been one of the better Blues in a long time if it wasn't for his knee injuries. He was truly electric and had another gear that not many had in 2016. Pre injury Fabbri was a problem any time he had the puck. Once his lost the jets, the game got exposed. But you would take that gamble every time.
I’d like to see the Blues draft a RD or C in this draft but still, it’s always BPA. I’m just hoping the BPA at 19 is a RD or C.
But yeah, there’s some good forwards in this draft and undersized guys tend to drop in the draft. The two 5’10” guy in this draft that fit the Schwartz/Fabbri mold would be Cole Reschny and Ben Kindel. Of the two, I like Reschny more but I think Kindel is quite good too. Except Kindel’s a right shooting RW.
Sort of reminds me of 2010 when all of Jeff Skinner, Mikael Granlund and Jaden Schwartz were all pretty highly touted.
Ditto, C or RD as one of those will fall to us AND will be a solid prospect. That said, I'm hoping Reschny drops as IMO he's a scoring line center in the NHL... He may be 5'10", but at 187lbs at 18, he's no lightweight...
seattleblue wrote: ↑19 May 2025 12:41 pm
I would be more than happy with Henry Brzustewicz as MN highlighted the other day. I didn't watch a lot of London but you can see this player's hockey sense is MILES ahead of Fiddler. Be mindful these are just some higher end plays. When you watch deeply you see it all so this doesn't have that perspective included. But the high end of his game is exactly what we want he reminds me of a RHD young Nick Leddy when I watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvCLjZnXq34
Carbonneau is my top forward for "player I somehow hope drops but won't" because I would like another Holloway on RW please
Kindel is in the model of "slightly smaller Schwartz" I would say
seattleblue wrote: ↑19 May 2025 12:41 pm
I would be more than happy with Henry Brzustewicz as MN highlighted the other day. I didn't watch a lot of London but you can see this player's hockey sense is MILES ahead of Fiddler. Be mindful these are just some higher end plays. When you watch deeply you see it all so this doesn't have that perspective included. But the high end of his game is exactly what we want he reminds me of a RHD young Nick Leddy when I watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvCLjZnXq34
Carbonneau is my top forward for "player I somehow hope drops but won't" because I would like another Holloway on RW please
Kindel is in the model of "slightly smaller Schwartz" I would say
Who is that guy Carbonneau?
Justin Carbonneau. Were you perhaps thinking of that guy Lafleur?
seattleblue wrote: ↑19 May 2025 12:41 pm
I would be more than happy with Henry Brzustewicz as MN highlighted the other day. I didn't watch a lot of London but you can see this player's hockey sense is MILES ahead of Fiddler. Be mindful these are just some higher end plays. When you watch deeply you see it all so this doesn't have that perspective included. But the high end of his game is exactly what we want he reminds me of a RHD young Nick Leddy when I watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvCLjZnXq34
Carbonneau is my top forward for "player I somehow hope drops but won't" because I would like another Holloway on RW please
Kindel is in the model of "slightly smaller Schwartz" I would say
Who is that guy Carbonneau?
Justin Carbonneau. Were you perhaps thinking of that guy Lafleur?
I love to somehow end up with Braeden Cootes and Nathan Behm. and I'd gamble on Diego Buttazzoni later (never got selected in 2024); seattleblue might have info on him.
